1. Field
The present application relates to the generation of superheated steam at one atmosphere and subsequent pressurization for a wide variety of uses including, but not limited to, cleaning, heating, drying, surface preparation, sterilization, pest control and elimination, degreasing and food preparation.
2. Prior Art
For industrial and non-industrial applications, steam is currently often produced by the heating of water in a boiler or other vessel. Generally, for these applications, saturated steam is produced and is then pressurized to a desired level by the continued application of heat. The pressurized steam generated by this process is then piped from the vessel for use. Saturated steam, having high moisture content, will readily condense in piping and upon application to surfaces. Such systems have several obvious disadvantages including expense, maintenance, efficiency, safety and dimensional constraints.
Common boiler systems can be expensive to install due to the required strength of materials and adequate fabrication needed to meet safety standards. The high temperatures and pressures associated with boilers are very hazardous and need to be compensated for with appropriate engineering design and advanced materials. Required inspection, maintenance, training and insurance costs add to the expense of such systems. Elaborate and expensive piping, gauging and monitoring equipment may also be called for, further adding to the overall expense.
Boiler systems use large amounts of clean water on initial start-up to produce steam. If water is in short supply, operation of such systems would be costly if at all possible. Leaks and condensation in such systems also result in water wastage, corrosion, damage and clean-up. Large amounts of costly and environmentally unfriendly fuel are required to heat the masses of water required in boilers to needed temperatures and pressures. If proper insulation is not installed on piping and other fixtures, which would add to cost, an amount of heat and energy would be lost from the process. For these and other reasons present boiler systems may be very inefficient for their intended purposes. Boiler operators need to be well trained in the operation of their equipment as well as focused, observant and skilled in their duties. Costs and work-place hazards could be minimized with a system that requires less training due to higher safety and easier operation than is the case with current methods for the pressurization of steam.
In many cases, due to their size and weight, current methods of pressurized steam production are limited to industrial or other settings where space is not an issue. In other cases, where space is limited, a boiler system would be too bulky. A smaller, lighter and portable method for providing pressurized steam is needed and is provided for by the present application.
The greatest concern in regards to the generation of pressurized steam is safety. Boilers and other pressure vessels can be extremely dangerous when not designed, built, operated or maintained properly. Pressurized steam lines running from the vessel are hazardous as well. In the vessel, large amounts of very hot pressurized steam are contained in a relatively small volume, creating the possibility of catastrophic rupture and explosion. The failures of steam pressure vessels are common and often deadly. To decrease the chances for such failures, boiler systems must be carefully designed, operated, maintained and inspected, which, as stated above, add to the overall cost of such systems.